Filtering mechanism for clothes washing machine



April 4, 1967 D. N. TOMA 3,

FILTERING MECHANISM FOR CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l II 53 v 54 F I6 I )1 I r l f IZ, 48

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20 INVENTOR. DANIEL N. TOMA "WW 54km H\S ATTORNEY April 4, 1967 D. N. TOMA FILTERING MECHANISM FOR CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IG.2

INVENTOR. DAN EL N. TOMA HIS ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 4, 1967 3,312,088 FILTERING MECHANEM FOR CLUTHES WASHING MACHINE Daniel N. Toma, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 478,137 4 Claims. (CI. 6818) This invention relates to automatic clothes washing machines, and more particularly, to an improved filtering mechanism for use in such machines.

Modern automatic clothes washing machines do an excellent job of removing dirt and other soil from fabrics. The washing process, of necessity, generates lint from the fabrics. This lint, as well as soil particles, must be removed from the washing fluid or they will be redeposited on the surface of the fabrics. To this end, modern automatic clothes washers generally employ a recirculation system including a filter.

One of the most effective filter mechanisms presently used is the type exemplified by United States Patent 2,481,- 979, issued to Russell H. Colley on Sept. 13, 1949 and assigned to the General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention. Such filter mechanisms direct the stream of recirculated liquid into a filter pan or trough of perforated construction. As the liquid drains from the filter pan back into the clothes receptacle, the lint and particulate soil are removed and remain in the filter. By providing relative motion between the stream of liquid and the filter pan, the lint is caused to roll-up into a ball. This insures that there is always unclogged openings for the liquid to flow out of the filter and makes it easier for the user to remove the lint and soil particles at the end of the washing operation.

From the standpoint of filtering, it is immaterial whether the filter pan or the stream .of liquid provides the relative motion. However, prior commercial embodiments have utilized a moving filter pan because of the inability to obtain a simple, inexpensive, compact and reliable mechanism utilizing an oscillating stream. It is an object of this invention to provide an improved filter mechanism for automatic clothes washers wherein a stream of liquid to be filtered is directed into a stationary filter pan alternately from opposite ends thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide. such a mechanism wherein the stream of liquid is oscillated by a fluid amplifier device.

The subject matter which I regard as my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the coneluding portion of this specification. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following escription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevational view of a clothes washing machine which includes one embodiment of my invention, the view being partly broken away and partially in section to illustrate details;

FIGURE 2 is a partial top plan view of the machine with the appearance cabinet removed;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the fluid amplifier device utilized in the machine of FIGURE 1, with the top portion of the amplifier removed; and

FIGURE 4 is a view along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 but including the top portion.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, I have shown therein an agitator type clothes washing machine 1 having a conventional basket or clothes receiving container 2 provided over its side and bottom walls with perforations 3 and disposed within an outer imperforate tub or casing 4 which serves as a liquid receptacle. With this combination, the basket 2 and tub 4 together form receptacle or container means for containing liquid and the fabrics or clothes to be immersed in the liquid. The basket 2 may be provided with a suitable clothes retaining member 5 for preventing clothes from being floated over the top of the basket, and with a balance ring 6 to help steady the basket when it is rotated at high speed to extract liquid from the clothes.

Tub 4 is rigidly mounted within an appearance cabinet 7 which includes a cover 8 hingedly mounted in a top portion 9 of the cabinet for providing access through an opening 1t) to the basket 2. As shown, a gasket 11 may be provided so as to form a seal between the top of tub 4 and portion 9 of the cabinet thereby to prevent escape of moisture and moist air into the cabinet around the tub. The rigid mounting of tub 4 within the cabinet 7 may be effected by any suitable means. As a typical example of one such means I have provided strap members 12 each of which is secured at one end to an inturned flange 13 of the cabinet and at its other end to the outside of tub 4. At the center of basket 2 there is positioned suitable means for flexing clothes which are placed into the basket 2. In the present case, this takes the form of a vertical axis agitator 14- which includes a center post 15 and a plurality of curved, water circulating vanes 16 joined at their lower ends by an outwardly flared skirt .17.

The clothes basket 2 and the agitator 14 are rotatably mounted. The basket is mounted on a flange 18 of a rotatable hub 19 and the agitator 14 is mounted on a shaft (not shown) which extends upwardly through the hub 19 and through the center post 15 and is secured to the agitator so as to drive it. During the cycle of operation of the machine 1, water is introduced into the tub 4 and basket 2, and the agitator is then oscillated back and forth on its axis, that is, in a horizontal plane within the basket; then, after a predetermined period of this action, basket 2 is rotated at high speed to extract centrifugally the liquid from the clothes and discharge it to drain. Following this extraction operation, a supply of clean liquid is introduced into the basket and the agitator is again oscillated. During this operation, which constitutes the wash step of the cycle, the liquid is preferably mixed with a suitable treating agent such as a detergent in order to effect chemical cleansing of the fabrics. Then the basket is rotated again at high speed to extract the washing liquid. Following this, a supply of clean liquid is introduced into the basket for rinsing the clothes and once again the agitator is oscillated. Finally, the basket is once more rotated at high speed to extract the rinse water. Of course, while it is often not done, more than one rinsing operation may be provided if so desired, and irrelevant modifications such as, for instance, spray rinses during a spinning operation may also be provided.

Basket 2 and agitator 14 may be driven through any suitable means. By way of example, I have shown them as driven from a reversing motor 20 through a system in-. cluding a suitable load limiting clutch 21 mounted on the motor shaft. A suitable belt 22 transmits power from clutch 21 to a transmission assembly 23 through a pulley 24. Thus, depending upon the direction of motor rotation, pulley 24- of transmission 23 is driven in opposite directions. The transmission 23 is so arranged that it supports and drives both the agitator drive shaft and basket mounting hub 19. When motor is rotated in one direction the transmission causes agitator 14 to oscillate in a substantially horizontal plane within the basket 2. Conversely, when motor 20 is driven in the opposite direction, the transmission rotates the wash basket 2 and agitator 14 together at high speed for centrifugal liquid extraction. While the specific type of transmission mechanism does not form part of the invention, reference is made to Patent 2,844,225 issued to James R. Hubbard et al. on July 22, 1958, and owned by the General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention. The patent discloses in detail the structural characteristics of a transmission suitable for use in the illustrated machine.

In addition to operating transmission 23 as described, motor 20 also provides a direct drive through a flexible coupling 25 to a pumping mechanism, generally indicated by the numeral 26, which may include two separate pumps or pumping units 27 and 28 both operated in the same direction simultaneously by motor 20. Pump 27 has an inlet which is connected by conduit 29 to an open ing 30 formed at the lowermost point of the tub 4. Pump 27 also has an outlet which is connected by a conduit 31 to a suitable drain (not shown). Pump 28 has an inlet connected by a conduit 32 to the interior of tub 4 and an outlet connected by a conduit 33 to a fluid amplifier-type oscillator 34. The pumps are formed so that in the spin direction of motor rotation pump 27 will draw liquid from opening 30 through conduit 29 then discharge it through conduit 31 to drain, and in the other or agitation direction of rotation, pump 28 will draw in liquid through conduit 32 and discharge it through conduit 33 and oscillator 34. Each of the pumps is substantially inoperative in the direction of rotation in which it is not used. The particular form of the pump assembly 26 is not significant; rather assembly 26 is representative of any structure capable of passing liquid selectively out through one outlet or another, whether by use of one pump with suitable valving, a combination structure, of two pumps.

Oscillator 34 is positioned to discharge into a filter pan 35 secured to one end of an oscillator 34. The other end of oscillator 34 is mounted in the upper portion of outer tub 4 so that filter pan 35 is supported in a stationary manner at the top of the container means formed by tub 4 and basket 2. With this structure then, when the motor is rotated so as to provide agitation, pump 28 draws liquid through a conduit 32 from tub 4 and discharges it through conduit 33 so that the liquid passes from oscillator 34 and falls into filter pan 35, then down through a number of small openings 37 provided in the bottom of the filter pan, and back into basket 2. In this manner, the filter pan 35 with its small openings 37 in its upstanding side wall 38 causes lint which is separated from the clothes during the washing Operation to be filtered out of the water, and thus prevents it from being re-deposited on the clothes.

The motor 20, clutch 21, transmission 23, basket 2 and agitator 14 form a suspended washing and centrifuging system which is supported by the stationary structure of the machine so as to permit isolation of vibrations from the stationary structure. It will be understood that such vibrations occur primarily as a result of high speed spinning of the basket 2 with a load of clothes therein. While any suitable suspension structure may be used, one such structure includes a bracket member 39 with transmission 23 mounted on top thereof and motor 20 mounted to the underside thereof. The bracket member in turn is secured to upwardly extending rigid member 40, and each of the two upwardly extending members 40 is connected to a cable 41 supported from the top of the machine. \Vhile only a portion of the suspension system is shown in FIGURE 1, such a vibration isolation system is fully 4 described and claimed in Patent No. 2,987,190 issued on June 6, 1961, to John Bochan and assigned to the General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention.-

In order to accommodate the movement which occurs between basket 2 and tub 4 without any danger of leak age between them, the stationary tub 4 is joined to the upper part of transmission 23 by a flexible-boot member 42. Boot 42 may be of any suitable configuration many of which are known in the art, to prevent relative motion of the parts to which it is joined without leakage therebetween.

Hot and cold water may be supplied to the machine through conduits 43 and 44 which are adapted to be connected respectively to sources of hot and cold water (not shown). Conduits 43 and 44 extend into a conventional mixing valve structure 45 having solenoids 46 and 47. Energization of solenoid 46 permits passage of hot water through the valve to a hose 48, and energizat-ion of solenoid 47 permits passage of cold water through the valve and energization of both solenoids permits mixing of hot and cold water in the valve and passage of warm water into hose 48. Hose 48 has an outlet 49 positioned to discharge into basket 2 so that when one or both of the solenoids 46 and 47 are energized, water passes into basket 2 and tub 4.

The level to which water rises in the basket and tub may be controlled by any suitable liquid level sensing means. One typical arangement for doing this is to provide an opening 50 in the side of tub 4 adjacent the bottom thereof. The opening 50 is connected through a conduit 51 and a tube 52 to a conventional pressure sensitive switch device (not shown), which may be posttioned within the backsplash 53 of the machine. As the Water rises in basket 2 and tub 4 it exerts increasing pressure on a column of air trapped in tube 52 and, at a predetermined pressure level, the column of air then trips the pressure sensitive switch device to shut off whicli= ever of solenoids 46 and 47 may be energized. The back splash 53 may be suitable manual controls, such as that shown at 54, extending therefrom so that the particular fabric cycle, including for instance, washing and spin speeds, water temperatures, water level within the tub 4 and basket 2, etc., maybe controlled to effect the washing of diiferent types of fabrics.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4 there is shown therein the details of the configuration of fluid amplifier oscillator 34. Oscillator 34 is formed with top and bot= tom walls 55 and 56 and a pair of elongated, spaced side walls 57 and 58. A generally U*-shaped intermediate wall 59, having first and second wall portions 60 and 61, is interposed between the elongated side walls at one end of oscillator 34. Side wall 57 and first wall portion 66 form a first outlet passage 62 while side wall 58 and second wall portion 61 form a second outlet passage 63.

Side walls 57 and 58 form an inlet passage 64 at the other end of oscillator 34. Intermediate their ends, the side walls 57 and 58 provide a reduced diameter portion 65 which defines a power jet nozzle. Just downstream of power jet nozzle 65, the side walls 57 and 58 flare outwardly to provide a mixing chamber area 66 which connects power jet nozzle 65 to outlet passages 62 and 63. Side walls 57 and 58 are formed with recesses 67 and 68 respectively in communication with mixing chamber portion 66. These recesses define biasing ports for a stream of liquid passing through the oscillator. A first conduit 69 connects biasing port 67 to outlet passage 63 while a second conduit 70 connects biasing port. 68 to outlet passage 62, so that each of the biasing ports is connected to the opposite outlet passage. As may be seen in FIGURE 4, a pair of crossover members 71 and 72 are connected to the base of bottom wall 56 to provide the conduits 69' and 70 and the conduits are spaced vertically so that they crossover one another without intersecting.

Fluid amplifier type oscillators, such as that shown tend to be bi-unstable in that a stream of liquid entering through inlet passage 64 tends to oscillate between outlet passages 62 and 63 in a fairly erratic manner. By the provision of the conduits 69 and 70 connecting each of the biasing ports to the opposite outlet passage, I cause oscillator 34 to operate in a uniform manner over a wide range of fluid pressures. A stream of liquid is initially provided to oscillator 34 and as it passes from power jet nozzle 65 will initially adhere to one of the side walls 57 and 58 and pass out of the oscillator through one of the outlet passages 62 and 63. If the oscillator is exactly symmetrical, the outlet passage initially chosen by the stream of liquid is a matter of happenstance, however, a slight irregularity in a configuration of the oscillator will cause the stream initially to adhere to a particular one of the outlet passages each time. Because of manufacturing tolerances normally present, a sufiicient irregularity is present in most fluid amplifier oscillators of this type such that they normally begin operation with the fluid always passing out of the same passage, however, this is immaterial to the operation of the oscillator and it will work satisfactorily whether the fluid always begins passing out passage 62, passage 63 or varies from operation to operation as to which passage it initially chooses.

Without conduits 69 and '70, the stream of liquid might continue to exit from the oscillator through the passage initially chosen or it might oscillate between the two outlet passages in an erratic manner. However, the conduits 69 and 70 cause the stream of liquid to oscillate in a regular manner. When both of the outlet passages 62 and 63 are empty, the conduits 69 and 70 effectively connect biasing ports 67 and 68 to the atmosphere so that the pressure across a stream of liquid emitted from power jet nozzle 65 is uniform. However, if one of the conduits is closed off from the atmosphere, this causes a transverse pressure differential to exist across the stream of the liquid and this pressure ditferential will cause the stream of liquid to adhere to the side wall having the biasing port which is closed. Thus, assuming that a stream of liquid initially adheres to side wall 57 and passes from the oscillator through outlet passage 62, the outlet end of conduit 70 will become closed and cut off biasing port 68 from atmosphere. This causes a transverse pressure dilferential across the stream of the liquid and it switches from side wall 57 to side wall 58 and passes outwardly through the outlet passage 63. This causes conduit 69 to be closed and an opposite transverse pressure diiferential is created across the stream, which flips back to side wall 57 and outlet passage 62. This operation continues as long as a stream of liquid is passing through the oscillator.

It will be noted that should the stream of liquid not completely fill mixing chamber 66, as it usually will not, the biasing port adjacent the side wall not adhered to by the stream of liquid would be connected to atmosphere through the unused outlet passage. For instance, with the stream flowing through outlet passage 63, biasing port 67 would be connected to atmosphere through outlet passage 62 and mixing chamber 66 while biasing port 68 would be connected to atmosphere through outlet passage 62 and conduit 70. If this occurs, there would be no transverse pressure differential across the stream of liquid. In order to assure that this does not take place, a notch 73 is formed in intermediate wall 59 between the passages 62 and 63. A portion of the stream of liquid impinges upon notch 73 and a vortex flow of this portion of the stream of liquid is caused, which effectively closes off the unused outlet passage. Thus, when the stream flows out passage 62 the vortex fiow closes off passage 63 and, on the other hand, when the liquid stream flows out passage 63 the vortex flow closes oif passage 62.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that the filter pan 35 is generally semi-elliptical in shape with the small openings or perforations 37 being disposed along a generally arcuate bottom wall. The center portion of the arc formed by the perforations 37 is closed by a solid wall 74. The outlet passages 62 and 63 are connected to the opposite ends of the are formed by the filter pan. Thus, it will be seen, as the stream of recirculated liquid is oscillated between outlet passages 62 and 63 of oscillator 34, the recirculated liquid will enter the filter pan from opposite ends of the filtering surface and an oscillating or reciprocating flow across the filtering surface will be induced. This oscillating flow keeps the openings 37 from clogging and causes the lint filtered from the water to be rolled up into a ball which may be easily removed from the machine.

It will 'be understood that other filter configurations may be utilized, however, the semi-elliptical form shown was chosen because it provides an optimum filtering area while occupying a minimum space in the opening 10 to basket 2.

While in accordance with the Patent Statutes I have described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and I therefore aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a clothes washing machine:

(a) a container to receive liquid and clothes to be washed in the liquid;

(b) a stationary, elongated pan member of perforate construction mounted adjacent the top of said container,

(c) recirculation means for removing liquid from said container and returning it thereto through said trough,

(d) said recirculation means including an oscillator for causing the recirculated liquid to be directed into said trough alternately adjacent each end thereof.

2. A clothes washing machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said oscillator is responsive to the flow of liquid through said recirculation means.

3. In a clothes washing machine:

(a) a container to receive liquid and clothes to be washed in the liquid;

(b) an elongated trough member of perforate construction mounted adjacent the top of said container,

(c) recirculation means for removing liquid from said container and returning it thereto through said trough,

(d) said recirculation means including a conduit for recirculated liquid; and

(e) a fluid amplifier device including an inlet passage connected to said conduit and a pair of outlet passages connected to opposite ends of said trough memher, said fluid amplifier device being bi-unstable whereby recirculated liquid is caused to flow alternately through each of said outlet passages.

4. In a clothes washing machine:

(a) a container to receive a liquid, and clothes to be washed in the liquid;

(b) an elongated trough member of perforate construction mounted adjacent the top of said container,

(c) recirculation means for removing liquid from said container and returning it thereto through said trough,

((1) said recirculation means including a conduit for recirculated liquid;

(e) a fluid amplifier device including an inlet passage connected to said conduit and a pair of outlet passages connected to opposite ends of said trough member;

(f) a biasing port connected to each outlet passage so that, when one said biasing ports is closed and the other of said biasing ports is open, the stream of liquid is biased to flow through the outlet passage associated with the open biasing port,

(g) each biasing port being connected to the other outlet passage downstream of the other biasing port so 3,812,088 7 8 that the stream of liquid is caused to oscillate be- 3,133,286 5/1964 Brucken et a1. 6818 tween said outlet passages.

References Cited by the Applicant References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,481,979 9/1949 Cones. 2,797,569 7/1957 Kirby 68-18 X 2,936,604 5/ 1960 Glendening 68 18 IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE: (A) A CONTAINER TO RECEIVE LIQUID AND CLOTHES TO BE WASHED IN THE LIQUID; (B) A STATIONARY, ELONGATED PAN MEMBER OF PERFORATE CONSTRUCTION MOUNTED ADJACENT THE TOP OF SAID CONTAINER, (C) RECIRCULATION MEANS FOR REMOVING LIQUID FROM SAID CONTAINER AND RETURNING IT THERETO THROUGH SAID TROUGH, (D) SAID RECIRCULATION MEANS INCLUDING AN OSCILLATOR FOR CAUSING THE RECIRCULATED LIQUID TO BE DIRECTED INTO SAID TROUGH ALTERNATELY ADJACENT EACH END THEREOF. 